Liner hanger with sliding sleeve valve

Abstract

An apparatus and method for forming or repairing a wellbore casing, a pipeline, or a structural support. An expandable tubular member is radially expanded and plastically deformed by an expansion cone that is displaced by hydraulic pressure. Before or after the radial expansion of the expandable tubular member, a sliding sleeve valve within the apparatus permit a hardenable fluidic sealing material to be injected into an annulus between the expandable tubular member and a preexisting structure.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 10 / 351,160, filed Jan. 22, 2003, attorney docket no. 25791.47.07, which is based on National Phase of the International Application No. PCT / US01 / 28960, attorney docket number 25791.47.02 which is based on U.S. Application Ser. No. 60 / 233,638, filed on Sep. 18, 2000, attorney docket number 25791.47, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. [0002] This application is related to the following co-pending applications: (1) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 454,139, attorney docket no. 25791.03.02, filed on Dec. 3, 1999, (2) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 510,913, attorney docket no. 25791.7.02, filed on Feb. 23, 2000, (3) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 502,350, attorney docket no. 25791.8.02, filed on Feb. 10, 2000, (4) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 440,338, attorney docket no. 25791.9.02, filed on Nov. 15, 1999, (5) U.S. patent application Se...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0020] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of operating an apparatus for coupling an expandable tubular member to a preexisting structure is provided. The apparatus includes a first annular support member defining a first fluid passage and one or more first radial passages having pressure sensitive valves fluidicly coupled to the first fluid passage, an annular expansion cone coupled to the first annular support member, an expandable tubular member movably coupled to the expansion cone, a second annular support member defining a second fluid passage coupled to the expandable tubular member, an annular valve member defining a third fluid passage fluidicly coupled to the first and second fluid passages having top and bottom throat passages, defining second and third radial passages fluidicly coupled to the third fluid passage, coupled to the second annular support member, and movably coupled to the first annular support member, and an annular sleeve releasably coupled to the first annular support member and movably coupled to the annular valve member for controllably fluidicly coupling the second and third radial passages. An annular region is defined by the region between the tubular member and the first annular support member, the second annular support member, the annular valve member, and the annular sleeve. The method includes positioning the apparatus within the preexisting structure, injecting fluidic materials into the first, second and third fluid passages, positioning a bottom plug in the bottom throat passage, displacing the annular sleeve to fluidicly couple the second and third radial passages, injecting a hardenable fluidic sealing material through the first, second, and third fluid passages, and the second and third radial passages, displacing the annular sleeve to fluidicly decouple the second and third radial passages, and injecting a non-hardenable fluidic material through the first fluid passage and the first radial passages and pressure sensitive valves into the annular region to radially expand the expandable tubular member.

[0021] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of operating an apparatus for coupling an expandable...

Problems solved by technology

Such a large borehole diameter involves increased costs due to heavy casing handling equipment, large drill bits and increased volumes of drilling fluid and drill cuttings.

Moreover, increased drilling rig time is involved due to required cement pumping, cement hardening, required equipment changes due to large variations in hole diameters drilled in the course of the well, and the large volume of cuttings drilled and removed.

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